4 The Coaches Perspective“I draft wrestlers because they are tough, I have never had a problem with a wrestler.” - Joe Gibbs, Hall of fame Football Coach"I would have all of my Offensive Lineman wrestle if I could."- John Madden, Hall of Fame Football Coach

5 The Coaches Perspective“I love wrestlers, they are tough and they make great football players.” Mike Stoops, National Championship Football Coach - University of Oklahoma.“Wrestlers make coaching football easy, they have balance, coordination, and as a coaching staff we know they’re tough.” - Tom Osborne - College Hall of Fame Football Coach - University of Nebraska

6 Pros With Wrestling BackgroundStephan Neal - The Football Player28 years old, was originallySigned by the Patriots as an undrafted free agent on July 23, 2001.The 6-foot-4-inch, 305-pound offensive lineman has played in 34 career games with 31 starts.Recorded the longest current consecutive starts streak on the Patriots offensive line.Stephan Neal - The WrestlerSan Diego nativeDid not play football in college and instead was a championship wrestler at Cal State-Bakersfield.He compiled a record and won two NCAA Division I titles.In 1999, Neal won the Dan Hodge Award - known as the Heisman Trophy of wrestling - following a year in which he won the U.S. Freestyle Championship, the Pan-American Games title and the World Championships.Ray Lewis - The Football PlayerSeven-time Pro Bowler2-time NFL Defensive Player of the YearSuper Bowl XXXV MVPArguably the greatest LB and 1 of the best players in NFL history.Ray Lewis- The WrestlerFlorida nativeFlorida State 4A Wrestling Champion lb. weight classCredits wrestling as the training ground for his prolific football career.

10 Crossover Skills:Many of the positions and skills are absolutely transferable between both sportsSome of those skills include but are not limited to footwork, hand-eye coordination, mental toughness, explosive movements, and balanceLearning the ability too beat the man in front of you can not be ignored.

15 A Look at The Numbers 32 Professional Football Teams 65 Man Rosters2080 Professional Football Players235 Wrestlers in the NFL11.24% of the NFL has a wrestling background6% of the Hall of Fame inductee’s

16 The Link Cannot Be DismissedThe relationship between wrestling and football is real.There are too many legends in both sports who have proved it.Hall of fame football coaches and players espouse the benefits of wrestling for football players.Good wrestlers can make a good football team great!